Gorski

PHILADELPHIA — The Butler Eagle's photographers have been honored in the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors annual writing and photograph contests.

Justin Guido and Dave Prelosky took top honors in the feature photography category for newspapers with 15,000 to 30,000 circulation.

Guido's first place photograph was of a soldier who was leaving for Iraq and who was kissing the stomach of his pregnant wife.

Prelosky's second place photograph was of several young children playing in corn in a silo.

The awards will be presented at the PAPME's annual convention in Gettysburg on May 29.

HERMITAGE — A Cranberry Township man has been hired senior vice president, director of human resources, for the F.N.B. Corp.Lawrence J. Gorski is responsible for providing overall human resources for the corporation.First National Bank of Pennsylvania has offices in Butler County.Gorski has nearly 30 years experience in senior level human resource roles. Most recently, he was vice president of human resources and administration for the REX Energy Corp. in State College.He received his B.A. in Labor Management Relations from Penn State University and his M.A. in Personnel and Industrial Relations from St. Francis University. He also received his J.D. in Law from Duquesne University.

HERSHEY — Pennsylvania American Water of Hershey has applied for a rate increase with the state Public Utilities Commission.The company supplies water to thousands of customers in Butler County, including Butler, East Butler, Connoquenessing and six townships: Butler, Center, Connoquenessing, Oakland, Penn and Summit.The increase would be about $5.92 per month for the average homeowner, bringing the monthly bill of a homeowner who uses 4,200 gallons per month to $48.90.Representatives of the Saxonburg Area Authority, which is selling its water system to Pennsylvania American, said its customers will not be affected by this rate hike if it approved.Because the sale is not completed, the rate hike does not cover Saxonburg authority customers.The overall increase would result in an additional $58 million in earnings for the company.If approved by the PUC, the increase would go into effect in June.The company is justifying the increase by pointing out it has spent more than $310 million in infrastructure upgrades since its last increase, as well as increases in its operating costs.

PITTSBURGH — Westinghouse Electric announced Thursday the signing of an agreement with Furukawa Electric and Sumitomo Electric Industries to acquire a combined 52 percent stake in Nuclear Fuel Industries, Japan's sole producer of nuclear fuel for both boiling-water and pressurized-water reactors.The acquisition for $100 million is expected to be finalized in May."The acquisition of NFI will significantly enhance Westinghouse's commitment and support to the Japanese market and also expands our global position in the PWR and BWR fuel business," said Joe Belechak, senior vice president of the Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel business unit.Westinghouse is moving its headquarters to Cranberry Woods in Cranberry Township.Several hundred workers are in the township now with a total of 3,000 workers expected to be there next year.

WARREN, Warren County — Northwest Bancorp, parent company of Northwest Savings Bank, will not participate in the U.S. Treasury Department's Capital Purchase Program.That program is part of the Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP.According to a news release, "After careful review of Northwest's capital position, the constraints and uncertainties of the CPP, and the overall strength of the company, the board of directors decided that government funding was not necessary."Northwest has branches throughout Western Pennsylvania, including in Butler County.

The Butler Health System has received approval from the state Department of Health to conduct a number of imaging tests ordered by chiropractors.Stephanie Roskovski, vice president for Outpatient Services at BHS, said many chiropractors have asked Butler Memorial Hospital and the health system to do diagnostic testing on their patients.The state had to give its approval before the hospital could do those tests.